A New Psychiatric Tool

The patients of mental health and family members concerned about mental health seem to be in a state of confusion, because the figure head of the Federal agency which finances mental health research has issued a statement about the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders The Director of the National Institute of Mental Health has led us to understand that the current DSM.V needs a newer classification system, involving biology, not just psychiatric opinion and definition. The problem with this is that it will take another 10 years to have a defined biology based manual. The Director made aware that the new revision of the reissued DSM.V since 1994 is “mostly modest alterations.”

Shortcomings of a Psychiatric Bible - NYTimes.com
I have peaked and scanned the DSM and I found that I could look at all my friends quite differently, even past acquaintances and if I chose to define their lives and my own as well, I would not see any one quite the same as if I first met them. I was told it’s the frequency of what you do which is defined as a possible illness, not that you act a certain way or respond in a certain way. What the DSM defines is diagnosis about symptoms that are associated with a certain disease, yet it does not on an objective laboratory scale or measure, say for instance blood count or other kinds of biological measurements. There has not been produced any such data which is needed to design a manual based on any such biology of the human body or any cognitive measures involving the biology of a person with any particular mental illness. At one time the NIMH began a program to finance research in biology, genetics, neuroscience and cognitive science, of which their goal was to help scientist define disorders by their causation rather that defined symptoms. The DSM (diagnostic manual) remains a tool to guide clinicians to diagnose disorders and treat their patients. Having understood that the biology of the human brain and body itself is being suggested as a part of all symptoms as well in our physical state of well being, changes how we see our education through psychology and psychiatry as consumers, leading us into a different aspect of learning about ourselves and our relationship to the environment in which we live in.

Written by Donald S.